The garbage collection schedule here in barangay Guadalupe is supposed to be three times a week. Now its once every three weeks!

Few meters from my house is the once pristine Guadalupe river, now the dumping site of so many communities along the riverbank.

Unless we do something about it immediately, in less than 10 years, Mactan channel will be as dirty as Manila bay.

Looking at those high-end restaurants in Il Corso, this thought scares me but I can guarantee, that panoramic view of the sea will soon turn into a view of sea of garbage. Very soon.

We’re talking of tens if not hundreds of tons of trash going into the very heart of your beloved city everyday. Guadalupe river serves as boundary between the north and south district barangays.

You cannot blame the riverside communities. These informal settlers live in tight spaces with no room to spare to hoard their garbage. They have to dispose it everyday but the government can only collect it once a month!

According to Daniel Basañez, Vice President of Sitio Sta Lucia Homeowners Association, they don’t have much of a choice, with rat infestation and all, the river offers a convenient and practical place to dump garbage.

Mr. Daniel Basañez

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The next rain will carry all these things straight to Mactan channel, to the vicinity of SRP in less than a day. From broken t.v’s to all sorts of plastics. The river, now a giant sewer, never fails to deliver on time!
There are so many plans you hear around from politicians to NGO’s about the river but until now, they remain as they are, grand and ambitious​ plans, while the dumping continue unabated.

Mr. Basañez ​promised to support any initiative that will provide alternative to the current situation.For instance, if they have the resource and means, on their own they are willing to collect the garbage in their community on a daily basis so this can be properly disposed.

Improvised motorcycles like the one in the picture below is perfect for inner city settlements with narrow roads.

With the urgency at hand, intervention is of utmost importance. The rest of those grand plans can easily follow.

We cannot change the world, but we can make a difference, one community at a time.